Big Sister Elsa
by IndyGirl89
Summary: Three-year-old Elsa is excited about meeting her new baby sister, Anna, and can't wait to play with her. A series of one-shots about Anna and Elsa's early years, mostly from Elsa's point of view.
1. Big Sister Elsa

**Wow, it's been a whole month since my last story, but honestly, I just haven't had the time, energy, motivation, or even inspiration to write. I got a few pages typed out and then I hit a standstill and didn't know where to go after that. But eventually, I figured it out and was able to finish. Anyway, here's a brand-new story for you guys! For this one, I decided to take a break from the adult Anna and Elsa and go back in time to when they were little, starting the day Anna is born. This was originally gonna be a one-shot, but it's been a while since my last multi-chap, so that's what it's gonna be. This was loosely inspired by the outtake "We Know Better", so you may see some of the lyrics here and there. You may have noticed that I went back to using chapter titles, like with my first story. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and please review! DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen or any of its characters.**

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**Chapter 1: Big Sister Elsa**

Elsa was excited. She had been waiting for this day forever, and now it was finally happening. Today was a very important and special day. Today was the day she would finally be a big sister. She couldn't wait to play with her new brother or sister, to teach him or her things, show him or her the world. Ever since the day when her parents gave her the news, Elsa had had to try her very hardest to not tell the secret to anyone outside the family, at least until her parents made the "official" announcement.

Elsa hoped with all her might that she would get a baby sister. They would do so much together – play with dolls, play tag or hide-and-seek, ride bikes, or, most importantly of all, build snowmen, whether outside in the natural snow or inside with Elsa's magic snow. She had just discovered she had snow and ice powers and was itching to fully test them out. Actually, her parents had been the ones to discover them, as she was too little to remember not having them. They told her that she had been born with them, but they hadn't fully shown until she was about a year old. They had woken up one morning to find her making tiny snowflakes in her cradle. Truthfully, what they saw worried them a little, and ever since that day, they had kept a close watch on her to make sure she didn't lose control and accidentally hurt someone.

But her parents weren't around to watch her now. Her mother was in their room having the new baby and her father was keeping himself busy looking over important papers. And there were hardly any servants around. Gerda and a few others were helping her mother and Kai...well, she didn't really know where Kai was. He was probably down in the kitchens keeping the other servants busy and out of the way.

So, for the first time ever (at least, since she could remember), Elsa was left to her own devices. As no one was around to scold or even watch her, she decided to release some of her pent-up excitement by making small flurries and dancing in the sparkling snow they left behind.

She was too busy giggling and twirling that she didn't realize she was being watched until she heard a loud, stern voice behind her, cracking like a whip through the almost-deserted hallway.

"Elsa!"

She was so startled she shot jagged spikes of ice out of her hands at the floor. She turned around to see who had spoken and immediately felt her heart plummet to her stomach. King Agdar of Arendelle, her father, was walking swiftly towards her, the look on his face matching the tone of voice he had just used. He stopped in front of her and crossed his arms.

Elsa craned her neck to look up at the towering figure above her. "Hi Papa," she said, smiling innocently at him.

"Elsa, what have your mother and I told you about using your powers when we aren't around to watch you?" he asked in that same stern voice.

"I was just playing, Papa," Elsa said timidly.

"Answer the question," he said.

Elsa hung her head, looking at the floor. Her face burned in shame despite the constant coolness of her skin. "To not to," she replied quietly before looking back up at her father. "I'm sorry, Papa. I'm just too excited."

The king sighed, dropping his arms and kneeling down so he was on eye level with his daughter. "I know you are," he said, seeming to understand what she was talking about. He laid one of his large hands on her small shoulder. "We all are. But you must be careful. If anyone outside the castle found out about your powers…...well, it wouldn't be good."

"Why not, Papa?" Elsa asked, looking at him curiously.

"Because," the king began slowly, working out how best to phrase his next sentence so his three-year-old daughter would understand. "Because people might get scared."

"Why would they get scared, Papa?" Elsa asked.

"Because they've never seen powers like yours before," he answered. _Or any powers at all_, he added to himself.

"Oh," said Elsa quietly, casting her eyes down again. "I don't want them to be scared, Papa."

"I know you don't," her father said, smiling at her reassuringly. "Just promise me you'll remember that for next time, all right?"

"Okay," said Elsa.

"Now come here," he said, opening his arms. Elsa smiled and ran into them, hugging him tightly.

"Is my new brother or sister here yet?" she asked excitedly, breaking apart from the hug.

Her father laughed. "No, not yet," he answered.

Elsa sighed dramatically. "How much longer?" she asked, almost whining. "I've been waiting _all day_."

The king chuckled again. It had really been only a couple hours since his wife had gone into labor, but to a child Elsa's age, it would seem like an eternity. So, instead, he said, "Soon. Tell you what: why don't you come and wait with me?"

"Really?" Elsa asked, a grin splitting her face.

"I think I can afford to take a few hours off work," the king replied, smiling at her. He stood up, held out his hand, and Elsa took it. They set off down the hall, Elsa positively bouncing alongside him.

In a few minutes, they came to the long hallway that led to the royal family's private quarters. There was a cushioned bench near the king and queen's room and the king sat down on it, pulling Elsa into his lap.

"Now," he said, settling her on his knee. "Before your baby brother or sister comes, there are a few things that I need to tell you. And listen very carefully, because they're important."

Elsa nodded, looking up at her father expectantly.

"Okay," the king sighed. "First, I know you'll want to play with your new brother or sister right away, but he or she won't be able to play back with you, at least not yet."

"Why not, Papa?" Elsa interrupted.

"Because babies, especially new babies, are very small and delicate," her father replied. "If you want to play with him or her, you have to be very careful."

"Will it break if I play too rough?" Elsa asked in a voice of childlike innocence.

"No," her father said, smiling. "But you might make him or her sad."

"Oh," said Elsa quietly. "I don't wanna make the new baby sad."

"I know you don't," her father said. "That's why you must be careful. Second, Mama is going to need a lot of help with the new baby."

"What can I do?" Elsa asked, looking up at him.

"Well, for starters, you will have to be quiet whenever the baby's sleeping," the king replied. "Mama, too, may need some sleep, so you'll need to be extra quiet then."

"Why will Mama need to sleep?" Elsa asked curiously.

"Because taking care of a new baby is a lot of work," her father answered. "She might need a nap once in a while."

"Grown-ups take naps?" Elsa asked, a look of surprise evident on her face.

"Sometimes," her father said, chuckling. "Now third, and probably most important, you have to be a big sister to your new sibling."

"Aren't I already a big sister?" Elsa asked.

"Well, yes, but there's more to it than just that," the king answered.

"There is?" Elsa asked, surprise apparent in her voice again.

"Absolutely," her father said, nodding. "Your new brother or sister will look up to you, so you have to set a good example."

"How do I do that?" Elsa asked, frowning in puzzlement.

"Well, by showing what a big girl you are, and teaching him or her the right things to do," her father answered.

Elsa suddenly thought of something. "Can I show the new baby my special powers?" she asked.

The king hesitated, afraid that this would come up. He didn't want to deny his children the happiness that came from Elsa's powers, but he didn't want anyone to get hurt. "Not just yet," he said. "Maybe when the baby's older, you can."

"Why?" Elsa asked.

"Because you might hurt the baby," her father answered.

"But I'll be very careful," Elsa protested.

"I know you will," the king said. "But for now, just keep it to yourself, all right?"

"Okay," said Elsa, looking back down at the floor. She was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowed, as if she was thinking hard about something. Then, she said quietly, "That's a lot to 'member."

The king chuckled. "Yes, it is a lot to remember," he said. "But I know you can do it. You know why?"

"Why?" Elsa asked, perking up again.

"Because you're my big girl," her father said, smiling. Elsa smiled, too, and hugged him tight, and he hugged back.

Father and daughter were so locked in their embrace that they didn't hear the click of the door opening across the hall, or the shuffling footsteps of someone approaching them. They only broke apart when the person cleared her throat. They looked up to see that Gerda had come through the door leading to the king and queen's private chambers. The king immediately stood up when he saw her.

"How – how is she?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"She's doing well," Gerda answered.

"And – and the baby?" he asked, his voice almost shaking.

"Also doing well," Gerda replied, a smile starting to form on her lips. "Congratulations, Your Majesty, you have another beautiful, healthy baby girl."

The king sighed in relief and smiled. "May I see them?" he asked.

Gerda nodded. "The queen has decided that she is ready for visitors," she said. "But if you don't mind, she has asked for Elsa first."

"Of course," said the king, and he beckoned Elsa forward. She came, but a little hesitantly. "Go on," he encouraged. "Go meet your new baby sister."

"What about you, Papa?" Elsa asked, looking up at him.

"I'll be there in a minute," he answered. "This time is just for you, your mother, and your new sister."

"Okay," Elsa said, and she took Gerda's hand and entered the bedroom. Her mother, Queen Idun, was sitting in the bed, propped up on several pillows, holding a bundle of blankets in her arms. Her dark brown hair, usually coiled in a tight knot at the base of her neck, hung in a loose braid over her shoulder. Damp tendrils of hair clung to her temples and her face shone from sweat. But Elsa always thought her mother was pretty.

The queen looked up and smiled when she saw her oldest daughter. "Elsa, dear, come meet your new baby sister," she said.

Elsa shuffled over to the bed and climbed up carefully next to her mother. She peeked at the bundle of blankets in her mother's arms. Her baby sister looked just like her, with freckles and bright blue eyes that were currently closed in sleep. But unlike Elsa, she had a tuft of strawberry-blonde hair about the same shade as her father's.

"What's her name?" Elsa asked, looking up at her mother.

"We haven't thought of one yet," her mother answered. "We were hoping that you would be able to help us pick one."

"I get to pick the name?" Elsa asked, surprised.

"Absolutely," her mother answered, smiling at her.

"I never picked a name before," Elsa said quietly.

"Well, I'm sure whatever name you pick will be beautiful," the queen said, still smiling. "So, what shall it be?"

Elsa frowned and thought hard for a minute. Then she said, "Anna. I like Anna."

The queen considered for a moment, and then smiled and said, "I like it, too. Anna it is."

Elsa smiled back, very pleased with herself for having picked a good name for her baby sister.

"Now, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself to her?" her mother asked.

"Okay," said Elsa. She reached out a hand and gently stroked her baby sister's cheek. "It's nice to meet you, Anna," she said. "I'm Elsa, your big sister. I will love you and play with you every day, even when I'm queen. You don't hafta be scared of anything, 'cause I'll always be right here for you. I love you." And she leaned forward and gently kissed baby Anna on her cheek.

"That was very nice, my darling," the queen said, smiling again. "I'm sure you and your sister will become the best of friends. Now, why don't you go bring your father in?"

Elsa slid off the bed and ran back out into the hallway, where her father was conversing quietly with Gerda. Too impatient and excited to wait for them to notice her, she started tugging on her father's hand.

"Come on, come on, come on!" she said, pulling him into the room. "Come meet Anna!"

"Anna?" the king questioned, smiling down at her.

"My new baby sister that I named!" Elsa answered, pulling him to the side of the bed.

The king leaned down and kissed his wife before looking at his newborn daughter. "So, what's this I hear about Elsa naming her new baby sister?" he asked, smiling.

"Well, I thought it would make her feel special if she got to choose the name," the queen answered, smiling back. "Look; it seems to have helped her bond." She cast her eyes down and then back up, sending him a silent message to look.

Elsa was again talking to Anna, but her voice was so quiet, they couldn't quite make out what she was saying. The king and queen shared a tender look and a smile.

"Yes, it would seem so," he said quietly.

From that day forward, the king and queen vowed to keep their daughters together no matter what.

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**Okay, so here's my plan for this story. As you know, chapter 1 takes place the day Anna is born. Chapter 2 will skip six months to when Elsa's 3 1/2 and Anna's six months, and chapter 3 will skip another six months to when Elsa's 4 and Anna's 1. Each chapter after that will skip a whole year up until Elsa's 8 and Anna's 5. I don't know how long this story will be, but it'll probably be several chapters. I probably won't include the accident, 'cause I want this story to be a happy one. I hope you'll bear with me as I work through it. :)**

**Again, hope you enjoyed! Another chapter coming soon!**


	2. We Know Better

**Hey guys, I really do apologize for the delay. This chapter gave me quite a bit of trouble. I kept hitting a standstill and had to go away for a bit and then come back when I had inspiration. I don't think I've ever had such trouble with a chapter before. But here it is, chapter 2! I promise, after this, I won't take so long to update. I hate it when authors don't update for a month or more. But that won't happen here, I promise! Thanks for the faves, follows, and reviews so far! Anyway, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing! DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics contained in this chapter. They belong to Disney.**

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**Chapter 2: We Know Better**

Elsa – 3 ½; Anna – 6 months

"She's so boring! I can't do anything with her!"

It was a warm, sunny summer afternoon in Arendelle, and the royal family, minus one, was outside in their private garden. Queen Idun was sitting on a stone bench, holding a six-month-old Anna on her knee, carefully watching her eldest daughter. The one person missing was King Agdar, who was currently ensconced in a meeting with his council. Elsa was sitting in the grass a few feet away, attempting to make a daisy chain, but it kept falling apart, making her frustrated, so she just threw it away and went back to what she had spent the last six months doing, which was complaining about her baby sister.

"All she does is eat, sleep, and cry," said Elsa, frowning at her droopy daisy chain more deeply than was necessary. "And drool. She drools a lot, Mama." She stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Elsa, sweetheart," her mother said. She stood up, settled Anna on her hip, and walked over to her, bending down so she was at eye level. "We talked about this, remember? Anna's too little yet to do much of anything."

"I know," said Elsa, but she was still pouting. "I just want someone to play with, that's all."

"I know you do," said her mother. "But I'm here, darling." And she smiled at her oldest daughter.

"I know," said Elsa again. It was true that it was rare that her mother (or her father, for that matter) was able to spend time with her. Usually, they were both closed up in some meeting somewhere in the castle. More often than not, Elsa was tended by her governess or nanny. She did love her governess and nanny, but sometimes, she wished that they would just leave her alone. But now that she had a baby sister, she had to share her governess and nanny. She didn't mind, though. Surprisingly, she was quite happy to share her governess and nanny, as right now, they were spending more time watching Anna than her, so she was able to snatch a few moments alone once in a while. But as she and Anna now shared the nursery, she had to go somewhere else in the castle. Usually, it was the library. She loved going in there and looking at all the books, even though she couldn't read them yet. But she promised herself that she would read all of them by the time she was queen.

She heard her mother's voice as though from far away. "Elsa?" she said. "Darling, are you all right?" She put her hand on her older daughter's shoulder, which was a bit difficult due to the fact that she was still holding Anna, who was now squirming in her arms and starting to fuss. "Shh, shh," she said, rocking back and forth and Anna soon quieted down again. She looked up and saw that Elsa had been watching, and she was pouting again.

"Elsa," she began, but Elsa angrily shrugged her hand off and stormed away, leaving a delicate trail of ice in her wake. The queen stood up and followed her. "Elsa, wait!"

"You only play with her!" Elsa said loudly. Her bottom lip was quivering and her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "You never play with me anymore!"

"Elsa, that's not true," her mother began.

"Yes, it is!" Elsa shouted, stamping her foot and causing a large snowflake to form on the ground where her foot had made contact. Tears were now spilling down her cheeks, but instead of being hot and stinging like most people, hers were cold and icy. "You love her more, too!"

"Elsa, that's enough!" her mother said sternly. Anna started fussing again, but this time, the queen ignored her in favor of her older daughter. She shifted Anna and knelt down in front of Elsa. "You know that your father and I love you both the same. Just because there's a new baby in the family does not mean that we love you any less. What is the family motto?"

"'Love will thaw'," Elsa mumbled, staring at her feet. The ice was still there, but it had receded a bit. "I'm sorry, Mama. I love Anna, but I wish she could play with me."

"I know," her mother said, tucking a strand of platinum blonde hair behind Elsa's ear. Anna had since quieted down and was now snuggled on her mother's shoulder. "Remember what Papa told you? You have to wait until she's older."

Elsa raised her head to look at her mother. "Why?" she asked, even though she had asked her father the same question the day Anna was born.

"Because she's too little to play the games you play," her mother answered.

"Oh," said Elsa quietly, looking down at her feet again. All the ice had now melted, mainly due to the warm temperature. But it was still frustrating. She wanted to play with her baby sister, but everyone kept saying "No" or "She's too little". She was tired of hearing "No". She wanted to hear "Yes". _Maybe soon_, she thought to herself. _Maybe soon I can play with her_.

"Shall we go see what Gerda has made for supper?" her mother asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Elsa nodded, not saying anything. Her mother stood up, settled Anna on her hip, and offered Elsa her hand, which Elsa took. She followed her mother up the stairs into the entrance hall and then down a hallway, finally stopping in front of a set of large, wooden double doors, which led to the family's private dining room. The doors were opened and the delicious smell of roast lamb met Elsa's nose. She sniffed happily, despite the not-so-good mood she was in.

Her mother noticed and smiled, too. "There's that beautiful smile I love."

Elsa blushed, and to hide it, she ran to the raised seat near her father, who was sitting at the head of the table. The queen sat down on his other side after settling Anna in her high chair. "How was the council meeting?" she asked her husband as Gerda and Kai started serving the meal.

"In a word? Frustrating," he answered. "We must have gone over the same trade agreements about a dozen times but still didn't make much progress."

"Any new alliances?" the queen asked, feeding Anna a bit of cereal before taking a bite of her meat.

"None that would really benefit us," the king answered, taking a sip of his wine. "At least, not for the long run."

"Hmm," said the queen, continuing to feed Anna. "Well, I'm sure something will fall into place soon enough. I mean, we have plenty of resources that I'm sure would be of use to someone."

The king sighed. "You're right, of course," he said. "I suppose it's only a matter of time."

There was a pause, where the only sounds were that of chewing and the clinking of cutlery. The king then turned to Elsa on his other side.

"So," he said, making Elsa jump and shoot little snowflakes out of her hand. "Did you enjoy your time outside?"

Elsa quickly swallowed the bite of meat she had just taken. "Yes, thank you, Papa," she answered, her voice quivering a bit at being addressed so directly.

"Did you do anything exciting?" her father asked.

"Well," said Elsa slowly. "I tried to make a daisy chain, but it kept falling apart. I guess I'm not very good at it."

"Yet," her father added, smiling. "You're not good at it yet. But if you keep practicing, you might get better. After all, practice makes perfect. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, Papa," said Elsa quietly, now playing with her fork.

"Are you finished, Elsa?" her mother asked, looking over at her.

"Yes, Mama," Elsa replied.

"Then I suggest that you run along upstairs," her mother said. "It's almost time for bed." She looked over at Anna, who was already starting to doze off. She clapped her hands, and Gerda came bustling in.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" she said, curtsying.

"Take the princesses upstairs to their nursery for bed, please," the queen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Gerda. She carefully took the now-sleeping Anna from her mother and settled her on her large hip. "Come along, Princess," she said to Elsa, waving her over.

Elsa dropped her fork back onto her plate with a clatter and hopped down off her chair. She ran to the door, but then stopped just outside in the hallway and turned back to her parents. She quickly bobbed a little curtsy and said, "Good night, Mama. Good night, Papa." Then she followed Gerda out the door.

"So, how was she today?" King Agdar asked quietly.

"She was good," Queen Idun replied. "But then Anna started fussing and she lost control for a bit while I comforted her. "

"What did she do?" King Agdar asked, leaning towards her.

"Well, she stormed away and left a trail of ice, but I stopped her before she went too far," Queen Idun answered. "And while I was scolding her, she stomped her foot on the ground and created a large snowflake, but that dissipated as soon as I had calmed her down."

The king ran a hand distractedly through his hair. "I should've been there," he said. "Not stuck in that meeting with the council. I'm the only one who can help her control it."

"Well, apparently, that's not the case anymore, dear," the queen said, resting a gentle hand on his arm. "And yes, she does need to control it, but she also needs the time to just be a child. And anyway, she's too little yet to really understand how great her powers are."

"But she needs that time to learn how to control it," the king said, taking his wife's hand.

"And she will have time," the queen said. "But now is not it. Just let her be herself for a few more years."

The king sighed in defeat. "All right," he said. "I suppose we'll just see how things go from here on out. But if she has an…...accident, then she will have to learn to control it. Okay?"

"I suppose that's fair," the queen replied, nodding in agreement. "Now come on, we should be getting to bed as well." They stood up and went upstairs to start preparing themselves for bed. On the way to their room, they passed by the nursery to check on their daughters. They were both sound asleep, Elsa in her blue canopy bed on one side of the room, and Anna in her pink bassinet on the other side. They each kissed them good night and then retired to their own room and settled down for the night.

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It was really late, or perhaps really early. Either way, it was still dark outside when Elsa suddenly woke and sat up in her bed. At first, her brain was still fuzzy from sleep that she didn't quite know what had woken her, but then she heard it: a soft crying, coming from the pink bassinet on the other side of the room. Anna was awake and fussing.

Elsa groaned, lay back down, and pulled her pillow over her head, trying to block out her baby sister's crying. She waited for someone to hear and come running in to comfort Anna. But when several minutes passed with no sound of running feet or comforting voices, she realized that it was no use. She had to do something to get her baby sister back to sleep. She got up, walked slowly over to her sister's bassinet, and peeked in. Anna wasn't wailing anymore, but her face was still scrunched up and she was whimpering a little.

"Come on, Anna," she said, almost whining. "Please go back to sleep." She looked out the window and then back at her sister. Unable to keep her head up, she rested her chin on the edge of the bassinet. "The sky's not even awake." Anna continued whimpering. Elsa sighed. Then she suddenly perked up; she had an idea. Softly, she started singing.

"_Hello, little baby._

_You're a princess just like me._

_But you're thinking maybe_

_It's a pretty cool thing to be._

_But soon, you'll see that everyone_

_Expects a lot from you._

_They say that there are things_

_A princess should and shouldn't do._"

Anna had finally quieted down, and was staring at Elsa with a look resembling fascination. Elsa smiled and realized that she had done her job. She started to turn away, but then another idea sparked in her head.

"Guess what?" she whispered to her sister. "I got a secret." She leaned closer to Anna. "I can make snow. Wanna see?" Anna smiled and cooed, and Elsa took that as a yes.

"Okay, ready?" Elsa asked, as she started forming a small snowball between her hands. Anna cooed again. Elsa smiled and threw the ball of snow high into the air, where it burst into thousands of tiny ice crystals. Anna waved her pudgy little arms in the air, trying to catch them, but they dissipated before they could land on her. Elsa leaned closer so she could finish her song.

"_But you and me_

_We…...we know better._"

She smiled down at Anna. "I'm sorry, Anna," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I've been jealous. I'm really not anymore. Yeah, you might bug me, but you're actually kinda fun." She stroked Anna's little hand with her finger, and Anna grasped onto it tightly. Elsa smiled, knowing that all it took was one single, precious moment with her baby sister to make her realize just how much she loved her.

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**This chapter was a bit short, but yes, more cuteness! But this story is about the little Anna and Elsa, so there'll be lots of cuteness in every chapter. By the end of this story, you'll be overloaded with cuteness! **

**Okay, that's enough. :) Now, just to recap, chapter 3 will skip another 6 months to when Elsa's 4 and Anna's 1, and then chapter 4 will skip a whole year to when Elsa's 5 and Anna's 2, chapter 5 to when Elsa's 6 and Anna's 3, and so on. I hope I don't confuse you with the ages. :)**

**Again, hope you enjoyed! Another chapter coming soon! (With lots more cuteness.)**


	3. As Long as We're Together

**Yes, yes, I know, it's been more than a week since my last chapter. But I'm sure you understand when other things get in the way. I should really spend more of my free time writing this story instead of listening to "Let It Go" over and over again in different languages. I just bought and downloaded "Let It Go: The Complete Set" from iTunes last night. It is AWESOME! Now I don't have to go to YouTube to listen to each of the 25 languages used in the multilanguage video. By the way, there are even more languages than just those. I think these are all the languages the song was dubbed into. Well, enough babbling, here's chapter 3! I had a bit of trouble with this one, too, but in this case, it was mostly trying to get it to a decent length. I don't like my chapters to be too short or too long. Thanks again for all the reviews, faves, and follows! You guys are awesome! Anyway, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!**

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**Chapter 3: As Long as We're Together**

Elsa – 4; Anna – 1

It was a cold evening in Arendelle. The wind outside howled and rattled the windowpanes, flinging snow and ice at the glass. It seemed that winter was upon them, and they were having their first real snowstorm since the weather had turned. It might be bone-chilling cold outside, but inside the castle, it was bright, warm, and pleasant.

Elsa and Anna were in their nursery playing, their nanny, Hanne, asleep in the rocking chair in the corner. She was an older, plump woman with dark, piercing eyes, a beaky nose, and dark hair streaked liberally with grey, which was always pulled into a tight bun at the base of her neck. She was an intimidating woman, even while asleep, and despite her roundness, never had any trouble keeping up with the rambunctious princesses. Elsa kept playing little tricks on her with her magic and Anna had just mastered crawling and was now getting into _everything_. It wouldn't be long before she started walking.

Right now, the princesses were sitting in front of the fire, playing with their dolls. Or, at least, Elsa was. Anna wasn't really playing as she was getting in Elsa's way. But Elsa didn't mind; she loved her sister and loved playing with her, even if she did sometimes get in the way. The dolls she was playing with had been made to look like her and Anna. One had red pigtails and wore a yellow dress, and the other had yellow pigtails and wore a blue dress.

"See, Anna?" Elsa was saying, holding up the dolls so her sister could see and pointing to each one in turn. "This is me and this is you. Now we're gonna build a snowman." She twirled her fingers and made a small pile of snow, which she formed into three small balls. She then placed one on top of the other and made two small holes in the top one for eyes and drew a smile on it with her finger. She turned it so Anna could see. "Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs," she said in a goofy voice, making Anna giggle.

"Off! Off!" she said, clapping her little hands.

"No, Anna," said Elsa, shaking her head and pointing at the snowman. "Olaf."

"Off! Off!" Anna said again.

Elsa sighed. It had been like this almost every night for the past few weeks. Anna was now a year old, and their parents allowed them one half hour of playtime after supper and before they were put to bed. Now that Anna could play back with her, Elsa had started making snowmen to amuse her. She named every snowman "Olaf", and had recently started trying to teach Anna to say his name, but she couldn't quite get all the sounds out yet. This, of course, made Elsa grow increasingly frustrated and she had told her parents so just the other day. But they had just said that Anna will say it when she's ready and to be patient.

But Elsa was done with being patient. She decided to try one more time. "O-laf," she said, drawing out the two syllables.

"Off! Off!" Anna said.

Elsa sighed again and gave up. It was almost time for bed, anyway. She dismantled the snowman and melted the snow. As they were already in their nightgowns, they just had to wait for Nanny Hanne to wake up and tuck them in. Elsa could get into her own bed just fine by herself, but even for a big girl of four like her, she couldn't quite lift Anna into her crib. She got up and took the dolls over to the small chest at the end of her bed, which held all her toys. She gave each of them a kiss before setting them gently on top and closing the lid. Just then, she heard a small voice from somewhere behind her.

"Essie! Essie!"

Elsa turned around so fast, her braid whipped her in the face. She looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It hadn't come from Nanny Hanne; she was still asleep. The only person it could've come from was—

"Essie! Essie!"

Anna.

Elsa looked down at her sister. She was holding her arms out and her lips were puckered. It looked like she was about to cry, as if she was scared of Elsa going too far. Elsa walked back over to where Anna was sitting and knelt down in front of her.

"What did you say?" she asked, and though she already knew just what Anna had said, she felt she needed to hear it again in order to believe it. But Anna just looked up at her with her big blue eyes. Trying a different tack, she asked, "Can you say my name? Say 'Elsa'."

"Essie! Essie!" Anna said, holding her hands out again.

Elsa grinned so widely, she thought her face might crack. "Good job, Anna!" she said. "I knew you could do it! Mama, Papa!"

Unfortunately, her excited shout woke up Nanny Hanne, who opened her eyes with a start. "Gracious, child, what on earth are you going on about?" she said.

"Anna can say my name!" Elsa said happily, running over to her and tugging on her hand excitedly. "She can say my name!"

"Nonsense, child," Nanny Hanne scolded, standing up.

"But she can, she really can!" Elsa said.

"That's quite enough!" Nanny Hanne said in her stern voice. "It's time for bed. Move along now."

Elsa sighed dejectedly and went over to her bed. But before she could climb up, she heard Anna cry, "Essie! Essie!"

She looked back around at her sister, who was still sitting on the floor, her arms outstretched yet again. Then she looked at Nanny Hanne, who was just standing there, dumbstruck, a look of disbelief on her face. She looked at Elsa.

"Told you," said Elsa quietly, and she got into bed and settled herself down.

* * *

The blizzard had blown itself out by the next morning, leaving a few inches of fresh snow on the ground. Elsa woke to an almost blinding white light streaming in through her diamond-patterned window. She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and sat up. It was quiet. Judging from the color of the light, it was still early. The only noise was a small sucking sound coming from the other side of the room. Elsa climbed down off her bed, tiptoed over to Anna's crib, and peeked in. She, too, was awake, but quiet and sucking her thumb. Elsa smiled at her.

"Hi, Anna," she whispered, even though there was no one in the room but them. "Guess what? It snowed last night. I haven't looked outside yet, but I bet it looks so pretty. Maybe Nanny or Mama will let us play outside today. I hope it's not too cold. But the cold never bothered me anyway. It might bother you, though, 'cause you're still little. But if isn't too cold for you, I could make you a real snowman and maybe even pull you around on my sled." She paused, frowning. "I wish you could walk. Then I could maybe teach you to ice skate, too. But at least you can talk. Can you say my name? Say 'Elsa'."

But Anna just lay there, looking up at Elsa with her big blue eyes, and continued sucking her thumb. Elsa sighed. "That's okay," she said. "Maybe we can try later, when Mama and Papa are around. They haven't heard you talk yet."

Almost as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Elsa scurried over to open it. But instead of seeing her mother or father or even Gerda, she saw Nanny Hanne. She was wearing a dark grey dress and her hair was in its usual tight bun.

"Good, you're awake," she said briskly before entering the room. "Time to get dressed for breakfast. Your mother and father are waiting for you."

She hurried over to the wardrobe in the corner and pulled out a blue dress for Elsa and a green dress for Anna. She then proceeded to help them into them. She smoothed out what little hair Anna had and brushed and braided Elsa's hair. She inspected them and, satisfied, picked up Anna, took Elsa's hand, and led them downstairs to the family's dining room, where their mother and father were waiting for them.

"The princesses, Your Majesties," Nanny Hanne said, still managing to bob a curtsy while holding Anna.

"Thank you, Nanny Hanne," the queen said, standing up from her place at the table and approaching them. "We will take it from here."

"Yes, ma'am," said Nanny Hanne, and she handed Anna over to her mother before bobbing another curtsy and exiting the room.

"Good morning, my darlings," the queen said, smiling at Anna and Elsa in turn.

"Morning, Mama, Papa," said Elsa quietly, bobbing a little curtsy of her own.

"Why don't you come sit down?" the king said, also smiling. "Gerda has prepared something special for this cold morning."

Elsa scooted over to her seat and climbed up. Even though she was four now, she still couldn't quite reach the table without being raised up, so she was still using her raised seat. Anna, of course, was in her high chair. The room was quiet for a moment, then Elsa remembered what had happened last night, about Anna saying her name. She opened her mouth to tell her parents, but before she could say anything, a door opened at the other end of the room.

Gerda then came in, carrying four bowls, three of which were filled with steaming hot oatmeal. She set them down in front of them and exited the room before coming back in with a large pitcher of orange juice. The queen thanked her and she left again.

Before there were any more interruptions, Elsa blurted out, "Anna can say my name!" But then she clamped her mouth shut and looked down at her bowl.

"What was that, Elsa, dear?" her mother asked, busy feeding Anna her cereal.

"Anna can say my name," Elsa said, a little slower, still looking at her oatmeal. "Well, kinda. She can say the 'E' and the 'S, but not the 'L' or the 'A'. It sounds like 'Essie'. Listen. Anna, can you say 'Elsa'?"

Again, Anna just looked at her. Elsa sighed.

"She said it over and over last night," she said.

"That's all right, dear," her mother said, putting the last bite of Anna's cereal in her mouth. "Maybe she'll say it later."

"I wish she'd say it now," Elsa grumbled, scraping her spoon along the edge of her bowl.

"I know, but you have to be patient," her father said. "She probably only says it when she feels like it. Now, please eat your oatmeal before it gets cold."

For the next few minutes, there was no sound except for the clinking of Elsa's spoon and the rustle of paper as the king looked over the missives he had received so far that morning. Soon, Elsa finished and dropped her spoon back into her bowl with a loud clank.

"Mama?" Elsa asked, looking up at her mother.

"Yes, darling?" her mother said, lifting Anna out of her chair and settling her in her lap.

"Can—can I take Anna outside to play in the snow?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, my darling, but I'm afraid it's too cold outside today," her mother answered.

"Oh," said Elsa quietly, and she hung her head. "That's okay. Maybe I can teach Anna to talk some more."

"Good idea," her mother said, smiling at her. She rang a small bell next to her plate and a minute later, Gerda came shuffling back in.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" she said, curtsying.

"Please take Anna and Elsa back up to their room," the queen answered. "I'm sure Nanny Hanne is still eating, so could you keep an eye on them until she finishes?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Gerda said, curtsying again. She took Anna from her mother and held out her hand for Elsa. Elsa slid down from her seat, ran over to Gerda, took her hand, and Gerda led them back upstairs.

Elsa was quiet for most of the way, hanging her head again and shuffling her feet. Gerda noticed and asked, "Something wrong, Princess?" She smiled down at Elsa.

"Yes. No. I don't know," Elsa mumbled.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Gerda asked, shifting a squirming Anna to her other hip.

"I know," said Elsa quietly. She took a deep breath. "Well, okay. Anna said my name last night."

"Did she now?" said Gerda, looking at Anna and then back at Elsa. "That's wonderful!"

"But she won't say it today," Elsa said, on the verge of whining. "I tried to get her to say it for Mama and Papa at breakfast, but she just looked at me."

"Maybe she only says it when you two are alone," Gerda suggested.

"Maybe," said Elsa quietly. _Or maybe I just imagined it_, she thought to herself.

"Well, I'm sure she'll say it again when she's ready," Gerda said, smiling at her again.

"You think so?" Elsa asked, looking up at her.

"I know so," Gerda answered, and gave a little wink.

By that time, they had reached the nursery. It was still empty, which meant that Nanny Hanne hadn't yet returned from breakfast. Elsa went to her toy chest, took out the stuffed dolls she had been playing with the night before, and sat down on the rug in the middle of the room. Gerda set Anna down next to her and then went to sit down in the rocking chair in the corner.

"Wanna build another snowman, Anna?" Elsa asked, propping the dolls up so they were sitting, too.

"Off! Off!" Anna said, clapping her hands.

Elsa smiled. Finally, they were getting somewhere. Anna hadn't said the word she wanted to hear, but at least she was talking again.

"Okay, ready?" she said, but, again, Anna just looked at her with her big blue eyes. She twirled her fingers and, like last night, created just enough snow to build a small snowman, which she proceeded to do, while Anna watched, sucking her thumb. When Elsa had finished, she pointed to it.

"Olaf," she said.

"Off! Off!" Anna said.

This time, though, instead of getting frustrated or impatient, Elsa just giggled.

"That's okay, Anna," she said. "You say it when you're ready. But as long as we're together, I'll help you." She smiled, and earned a smile in return. She stood up and went over to her toy chest again to look for something to use as buttons on the snowman. As she was rummaging, she heard a small voice behind her.

"Essie! Essie!"

Elsa froze, hardly daring to believe it. She turned around slowly and saw Anna with her hands outstretched, just like last night. She walked over to her, bent down, and said, "Say it again, Anna."

This time, to Elsa's great happiness, Anna complied. "Essie! Essie!" she said.

A huge grin split Elsa's face and she hugged Anna tight, never wanting to let go.

* * *

**Originally, I had planned on including Anna's first steps in this one, too, but I decided that it was too much, so I cut it. Also,**** I wanted Elsa's name to be one of Anna's first words, but was a little unsure as to what form of Elsa's name to use. At first, I thought of using "Essa", like I did with Kirsten (Anna and Kristoff's little girl in "Family Ties" and its sequels), but after a conversation with a fellow fanfiction writer, I came up with what you see here.**

**Again, hope you enjoyed! Another chapter coming soon! (If I don't get distracted by "Let It Go" again.) :)**


	4. I Will Be Right Here

**Hey guys, I apologize once again for the delay. This chapter proved to be the toughest one yet. I had an idea in my head, but then I got stuck and didn't know where to go from there. But here it is, chapter 4. Originally, this chapter was mostly gonna be about Elsa comforting Anna during a thunderstorm, but I thought I'd start it out with Anna asking Elsa to build a snowman for maybe the first time. But don't worry; both ideas are in here and there's still plenty of cuteness. :) Thank you so much for all the reviews, faves, and follows! You guys keep me going! Anyway, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: I Will Be Right Here**

Elsa – 5; Anna – 2

It was a beautiful spring day in Arendelle. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the flowers in the royal garden were in bloom. But best of all, it was finally warm enough to spend a day outside. Many of the citizens were out and about in the streets, going to the market or just taking a stroll in the sunshine. Children chased each other around while their parents talked with friends or haggled over prices. Only one little girl, the crown princess, to be exact, wasn't joining in the fun.

Elsa was holed up in her room, sitting at her desk, which was strewn with papers covered with different markings, chewing distractedly on a long pencil. Suddenly, a series of knocks on her door startled her from her concentration. Before she could say or do anything, the door burst open with a crash and Anna came running in, wearing a green sundress.

"Essie! Essie!" she said. She still couldn't quite get the "L" or the "A" out, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Ever since Anna had learned to say her name, Elsa had been trying to get her to say the two letters that she was missing, but hadn't been having much luck. She had stopped going to her parents about it because she knew that they would just say the same thing they always did, that Anna would say all of it when she was ready. "Come pay, come pay!"

Elsa sighed, whether out of disappointment or frustration, she didn't know. "I can't, Anna," she said. "I'm trying to learn my letters."

"No!" Anna said, running over to her and pulling on her hand. "Essie pay Anna! Essie pay Anna!"

Elsa sighed again, this time out of frustration. "I can't, Anna, I'm busy," she said, and she went back to her letters.

There was silence except for the scratching of Elsa's pencil and the occasional crumpling of paper as she scrunched up her mistakes. Then she heard a small, quiet voice behind her.

"Essie noman?"

Elsa dropped her pencil in surprise and turned to look at her two-year-old sister. She smiled at her and said, "Sure, Anna, we can build a snowman."

"Yay!" said Anna, and she started pulling on Elsa's hand again. "Essie pay! Essie pay!"

This time, Elsa allowed herself to be led out of the room and into the hall. It was only about mid-afternoon, but the castle was mostly quiet, except for their running footsteps, which echoed loudly in the deserted hallways.

"Anna, slow down!" Elsa said. "Quiet feet!" But Anna didn't listen and just pulled her hand harder.

Anna was running so fast, Elsa was afraid that she might fall, but surprisingly, she didn't. They practically flew down the hall until they reached the stairs, where Elsa pulled back on Anna's hand to make her stop before she tumbled down.

"Anna, stop," she said.

"Why?" Anna asked, looking up at her.

"I don't want you falling down," Elsa answered.

"Why?" Anna asked again.

"'Cause you might get hurt," Elsa said.

"Oh," said Anna, making a pouty face.

"But know what we can do?" Elsa whispered, bending down in front of Anna. "We can make a slide."

"Side?" Anna said.

"Yeah, slide," Elsa said. "Watch." She stood up, spread her hands out in front of her, and shot a blast of magic at the stairs, coating them in a thin sheet of ice that reached from the top all the way down to the bottom. Elsa then sat down at the very edge and patted her legs. Anna plopped down and Elsa put her arms around her.

"Hold on tight," Elsa said, but Anna just giggled. Elsa pushed forward and down they went, Anna giggling all the way down, reaching the bottom safe and sound. Anna bounced off Elsa's lap and started jumping around.

"Agin! Agin!" she said, clapping her hands.

"No, Anna, that's enough," Elsa said, and she melted the slide, leaving no trace of ice behind. "Come on." She held out her hand, Anna took it, and they continued on their way, Anna bouncing alongside her. They were going to the ballroom, their "special place", as Elsa called it. She didn't know why she called it that; it just was. They were almost there when Elsa said, "Now, Anna, I'm not s'posed to leave my room when I have lessons to do, so if you wanna build a snowman, we have to be very—"

She stopped suddenly, making Anna stop, too. Nanny Hanne was standing right in the middle of the hallway, in front of the doors leading to the ballroom. It appeared she had known that they would try to sneak down there at this precise moment. She seemed to have a knack for that sort of thing.

"—quiet," Elsa finished.

Nanny Hanne came up to them. She did not look happy, though Elsa couldn't remember if she had ever looked happy. "What are you doing out of your room, young lady?" she asked Elsa, her hands on her hips.

"Anna and I were just—"

"I don't want to hear it," Nanny Hanne interrupted, putting a hand up to stop her. "You know you're not allowed out of your room until you've finished your lessons. If your father knew about this, he would be even more upset than I am right now."

Elsa looked timidly up at Nanny Hanne. Her dark eyes were narrowed, her nostrils were flaring, and her mouth was set in the thinnest of thin lines. She didn't think anyone could look more upset than that.

Nanny Hanne was still glaring at her. "There is no reason for you to be out of your room while you have lessons to finish," she said. "What could possibly have distracted you?"

Elsa looked down at Anna, who was sucking her thumb and apparently completely oblivious to what was going on. She always told the truth, even when she hated to. But right now, she hated it more than ever. She hung her head and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Nanny Hanne. Anna wanted to build a snowman, and I—I couldn't resist."

Nanny Hanne, of course, knew about Elsa's powers, being one of the "closer" staff members. "That is no excuse," she said. "You will go straight back upstairs and finish those lessons. Right now. March."

She hadn't yelled, but Elsa took her stern voice very seriously, and she turned around and led Anna back upstairs to their room. She closed the door and went to sit back down at her desk.

Anna was still standing by the door. "Essie noman?" she said quietly.

Elsa couldn't look at her. "I'm sorry, Anna," she said, her head down. "We have to wait till later."

"Essie?" Anna said.

"I said later!" Elsa said loudly, then immediately clapped her hand to her mouth. She had never yelled at her sister before. She looked around at Anna, expecting to see her crying, but she wasn't. She was standing in the exact same spot by the door, just looking at her with her big blue eyes. Elsa sighed and went over to her. "I'm sorry, Anna. Maybe we can build a snowman after I'm done with my lessons, okay?"

But after learning her letters for the day, Elsa had a bit of arithmetic and then some reading, both of which took her a little longer than her letters. By the time she finished, it was almost supper time, and after, they would only have half an hour to an hour of playtime. But Elsa had promised that she would build a snowman with Anna, even if it was just a little one in their room.

But as it turned out, Nanny Hanne had told the king what Elsa had done that afternoon, about trying to skip her lessons and going out to play with Anna. Just as Nanny Hanne had predicted, he was not happy. He gave Elsa a very stern talking to, and said that as punishment, there would be no playtime with Anna that evening and that she would go straight to bed after supper. Elsa thought the punishment was unfair, but she didn't say anything, knowing that she deserved it.

So after a very quiet and tense supper, Nanny Hanne escorted Elsa and Anna back upstairs to their room. She dressed them in their nightgowns, put them in bed, and left without a word. Elsa lay awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, fighting the urge to cry. She was a big girl, and big girls didn't cry. But she wanted to cry more than anything. So as not to disturb Anna, she put her face into her pillow and cried silently until she fell asleep.

* * *

Elsa woke a few hours later to a low rumble of thunder and rain pattering the window. It sounded like they were having their first spring thunderstorm. Elsa didn't mind rain; she loved hearing it patter on the ground and the windows. She just didn't like the thunder and lightning that sometimes accompanied it, which is why she had woken, when normally, she would have slept soundly all through the night, despite the rain.

Elsa snuggled back down into her blankets and closed her eyes, but was startled awake a few moments later by a loud rumble and then a crash of thunder, followed by a bright flash of lightning. Then she heard a scurrying of feet and a small voice by her bed.

"Essie! Essie!" It was Anna. Her voice was quivering; she sounded scared.

Elsa sat up and looked down at her sister. "What's the matter, Anna?" she asked.

"I scared," Anna said. "Seep Essie?"

"Yes, Anna, you can sleep with me," said Elsa, and she helped Anna scramble onto her bed. She tucked her in beside her and put her arms around her. "Are you still scared?"

Anna nodded, her thumb in her mouth.

"It's okay to be scared," Elsa said, looking down at her. "Everybody gets scared sometimes."

"Essie scared?" Anna asked, looking up at her.

Elsa smiled at her. "Yes, I get scared, too," she said. "But you know what I do when I get scared? I have Mama sing to me. Want me to sing to you?"

Anna nodded silently.

"Okay," said Elsa, taking a deep breath, and she began to sing in a sweet, soothing voice while rocking back and forth with Anna.

"_Hush, my little angel,_

_Don't you cry._

_I love you,_

_Now dry your eyes._

_I know you're sad,_

_But I'm right here._

_I'll never leave._

_Rest your head now and sleep._"

Elsa looked down at her baby sister. She was asleep again with her thumb in her mouth. Elsa hummed and continued rocking. She could still hear the rain and the thunder, but in this moment with her sister, it all seemed so far away, like they were in another world. She gently kissed Anna's forehead and whispered, "Don't worry, Anna. I will be right here. I will always be right here."

* * *

**This chapter is a bit shorter than my other ones, but I was just so tired of looking at it, that I hurried to get it done and get it off my back. I hope it doesn't seem rushed in any way.**

**Did you recognize the lullaby Elsa sang to Anna? I made it up for one of my other stories, "Opening New Doors", in which a grown (and pregnant) Elsa sings it to Kirsten, Anna and Kristoff's little girl. I thought it would be more special if Elsa had sung it to Anna first. :)**

**Oh, another reason for the delay of this chapter is that I've recently gotten into Once Upon a Time. And no, it's not just 'cause of Frozen being added (although that's part of the reason), but because my friend suggested I watch it. I just finished the first season on Amazon Instant Video and I LOVE IT! It's so engaging! I can't believe I haven't watched it before now!**

**Well, again, hope you enjoyed! Another chapter coming soon! (If I'm not distracted by OUAT.) :)**


	5. Always Be Together

**Hey guys. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay in updating. But now that I'm all caught up with OUAT, I'll be able to spend my free time writing! So anyway, here's chapter 5. This one was probably the easiest to write so far. The only (small) problem was getting it to a length that I liked, as is the story with my other chapters. :) Thank you guys so much for the reviews, faves, and follows! They make my day! Anyway, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Always Be Together**

Elsa – 6; Anna – 3

It was a clear, beautiful day in Arendelle. The sky was a pretty cerulean blue, the sun was shining, and the breeze coming off the fjord made the air cool and crisp. Autumn had arrived, and with it, all its beautiful show-stopping colors. Trees that were once bright green seemed to have come alive in various shades of red, orange, and gold. Some colors were so vivid, the trees appeared to have been set on fire. Dozens of people were out and about, enjoying what was perhaps the last bit of sunshine before the cold winter shut them inside their houses. Excited voices were everywhere, especially inside the castle.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, _c'mon_!" said Anna, pulling her sister down the hall.

"Anna, wait! Slow down!" Elsa said, trying to dig her feet into the carpeting to slow them down, but to no avail.

"No, we has to go outside!" Anna said, pulling on Elsa's hand even harder than she already was. "There's leaves _everywhere_! We has to jump in 'em!"

"Wait, what?" said Elsa, stopping abruptly and causing Anna to lurch back into her.

"We has to jump in the leaves!" Anna said loudly, as though she hadn't made her point about a dozen times already.

"We—we're jumping in the leaves?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

"Uh-huh!" said Anna excitedly, pulling impatiently on her hand again, but this time, Elsa remained rooted to the spot. "Come _on_!" she said when Elsa didn't move.

"Do Mama and Papa know about this? 'Cause if they don't, we have to ask them first," Elsa said, still not moving from her spot and ignoring Anna's pulling.

"Okay," Anna said, pouting.

"That's my good baby sister," said Elsa, smiling. "Now come on; I think they're in Papa's study."

She took Anna's hand and led her to the study where, sure enough, they found their parents, sitting at the table in the corner going over trade agreements.

"I think Weselton could really benefit from our resources," the king was saying.

"Agdar, no, they've been trying to exploit them for years," the queen answered. "You of all people know that. Besides, Arendelle is well enough off that we don't really need their business, anyway."

"It's not just about trade, Idun," the king said. "It's also about establishing ties and gaining allies. What if we were suddenly thrust into war? Their hundreds of trained soldiers would be more than enough to help us."

"So you're saying that if we cut off trade with Weselton they'd refuse to help us in that manner?" the queen asked.

The king hesitated before answering. "Possibly. Or they might just be reluctant. Which is why we cannot risk cutting ties with them."

The queen was silent for a moment. "I suppose you're right," she conceded. "But if they do anything – and I mean _anything_ – to usurp our resources, will you at least attempt to reconsider?"

It was the king's turn to be silent. Then he said, "I will do what I can. But I can't make any promises."

There was silence in the room again, and Elsa took that opportunity to knock on the door.

The king and queen looked up. "Hello, Elsa, dear," her mother said, smiling upon seeing who it was. She stood up and walked over to Elsa and Anna.

"What were you and Papa talking about?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, just boring grown-up things," her mother answered. "Nothing you need to worry about until you're older."

"Why can't you tell me now?" Elsa asked.

"Because it's not important for you to know right now," her mother said. "So I suggest you put it out of your mind for the time being. Now then, is there something that you wanted?" She clasped her hands in front of her and waited for Elsa to speak.

Elsa didn't say anything for a moment. She knew that what her parents had been talking about was more than just nothing, but her mother was obviously not going to say any more on the subject. So she obeyed her mother and put it out of her mind, at least for the moment, and asked the question she had originally planned on, which was the real reason she and Anna were there in the first place.

"Is it okay if Anna and I go outside?" Elsa asked quietly.

"Of course it is, darling," her mother answered. "But wear your cloaks, please. It's quite chilly out and I don't want you catching a cold."

"Yes, Mama," Elsa said, bobbing a little curtsy before running to fetch her and Anna's cloaks and a few minutes later, they were outside in the brisk autumn air.

Anna gasped at all the leaves covering the ground and ran giggling toward a large pile that the caretaker had gathered up earlier that day. "C'mon, Essie!" she shouted before jumping into the pile, strewing leaves everywhere.

Elsa went over to her sister and watched her play happily in the leaves, but she couldn't help thinking about what her parents had been talking about earlier. Being only six, she hadn't really understood most of what they had been saying, but it had sounded very important. Was she really too little to know right now? Her mother obviously thought so. But she didn't have much more opportunity to dwell on it, however, because Anna was insisting that she jump in the leaves with her. Of course, she happily obliged, and when their mother called them back in about an hour later, she had completely forgotten about it.

* * *

Sometime later, Anna and Elsa were back in their room playing with their dolls. As Nanny Hanne had the day off, Gerda had been assigned to watch them, but she had just gone down to the kitchens to check on something, trusting that the girls would stay put while she was gone.

Relishing the fact that Gerda was occupied elsewhere, Anna was running around and around the room, holding her doll up in the air to make it fly.

"Look, Essie, she's flying!" she said, giggling as she continued to scamper around the room. "She has magic, just like you!"

Elsa suddenly stopped what she had been doing, braiding her doll's hair, and looked up at Anna, who was still running around the room, apparently completely oblivious to what she had just said. She was so innocent. If only she knew.

Elsa was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice that the room had suddenly gone quiet. She looked around. Anna had stopped running around and was now standing still, sniffing the air.

"Anna, what is it?" she asked.

"Essie, Gerda's making chocolate!" Anna said excitedly. "We has to get some!"

Elsa sighed, going back to braiding her doll's hair. Of course, Anna smelled chocolate. She could smell it from a mile away. The smell of chocolate drew her in like a magnet.

Anna ran over to her and started pulling on her arm. "C'mon, Essie, we has to find the chocolate!" she said, impatience creeping into her voice.

"Okay, Anna," Elsa said, giving in and standing up. "But we have to be quiet. You know Mama and Papa don't like us eating sweets before supper. If we get caught, we'll be in big trouble. Understand?"

Anna nodded and started pulling Elsa towards the door, Elsa trying to keep up and not trip at the same time. They walked quickly but quietly through the halls and down stairs, Anna almost bursting with excitement. Soon, they came to a hallway with a flagged-stone floor with a few doors flanking it, probably leading to the kitchens and some storerooms. Torches in brackets hung from the walls every few feet. Even though she had lived in the castle her whole life, Elsa couldn't remember ever being down here before. Of course, she was only six, so there wasn't much she _could_ remember.

"So many doors," Elsa said, looking at them all. "Which one is it?"

"This one!" said Anna, running over to a random door and pulling on the brass ring that served as the handle. But the door wouldn't open. "Help!" she said.

Elsa walked over and they both tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "I think it's locked," Elsa said. "Let's try a different one."

"Okay!" Anna said, seeming to be undeterred despite their failure with the first door. She went to the one directly next to it and tugged on the handle. Unlike the first door, this one swung open easily, but all the sisters saw in there were rows of shelves filled with jars of fruit and pickled vegetables.

"That's not it, either," Elsa said, closing the door. "Let's try this one." She walked over to the door directly across from the one they had just opened. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling on the handle. This door also swung open easily. Elsa opened her eyes, hoping that she had found the right door this time, and smiled big when she saw the room beyond. It was dominated with a long, wooden table in the center, flanked by stoves on one side and a big fireplace on the other. "Found it," she said. She turned back to Anna and held out her hand, which Anna took, and led her inside.

They looked around. Every surface was empty and clean. There was no sign of chocolate anywhere. If not for the smell, it might not have been there at all.

"Where's the chocolate?" Anna asked, pouting in disappointment.

"I don't know," Elsa answered. "I guess we gotta look around. Gerda must have hidden it. I bet she knew we were gonna come down looking for it." Gerda had served the royal family for years, and she always seemed to know what Anna and Elsa were going to do before they did it.

They started poking around the kitchen, opening drawers and cupboards, but only finding cooking utensils and pots and pans. It was when Elsa was just about ready to give up that Anna let out an excited squeal.

"I find it! I find it!" she said, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

"Where is it, Anna?" Elsa asked, coming over to her.

Anna pointed above her. There, sitting on a shelf behind some cookware, was a clear glass jar filled with chocolate. The shelf was just out of their reach.

"It's too high up, even for me," Elsa said, a little disappointed.

"Up! Up!" Anna said, stretching her arms above her head for Elsa to lift her up.

Elsa gently wrapped her arms around Anna and lifted her up high enough to reach the shelf, staggering a little under the weight. Anna might be small yet, but she was heavier than she looked. Anna reached out her hands and was almost touching the jar of chocolate. But just then, Elsa let out a panicked yelp, lost her footing, and they both toppled to the floor, bumping some pots off the shelf on their way down. The noise of crashing cookware was enough to wake the dead.

Elsa sat up and winced, grabbing her elbow, which she had knocked hard against the stone floor. Anna was surprised, but for the most part seemed unhurt. She looked at Elsa.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa said, scooting over to her and wincing with every movement. "I guess you're too big for me to lift anymore."

Suddenly, they heard running footsteps outside and then a crash as the kitchen door was thrown open. They looked up to see Gerda standing in the doorway, red-faced and out of breath from having run so hard and fast from wherever she was.

"What on earth is going on here?" she panted, placing a hand to her chest and trying to catch her breath.

There was a moment of silence as Anna and Elsa looked at each other. As always, Elsa was the first to speak. "Anna and I were trying to get some chocolate, but we fell," she said quietly, staring down at the floor.

"Oh, you poor dears," Gerda said, rushing over and squatting down next to them. "Are you hurt?"

"I don't think Anna is, but I am," Elsa answered. "I hurt my elbow."

"Let me see," Gerda said, and she gently took Elsa's elbow and looked at it. "Hmm, looks like you just got a little bruise. Nothing that won't heal quickly. But to make you feel better, I've got something special to put on it." She went over to a cupboard and took out a jar of liniment before coming back over to the girls. She scooped up a bit of it and dabbed it on Elsa's elbow with her finger. Elsa winced a little at the contact. "There. Does that feel better?" Elsa nodded. Gerda smiled and stood up to put the jar of liniment back in its proper place.

Elsa finally managed to stand up. "Sorry, Gerda," she said quietly.

"Sorry?" Gerda asked, turning back to her. "What on earth are you sorry about?"

"For making a mess and for making so much noise," Elsa replied.

"Oh, my dear, there is nothing you need to be sorry for," Gerda said, walking over to her and giving her a hug. "I'm just glad that you and your sister weren't seriously hurt." Elsa relaxed in her arms, breathing in the familiar scent of spices and freshly baked bread. There was a scuttling of feet and Anna came over, wanting to be a part of the hug, too. She wrapped her arms tightly around Elsa.

After what seemed an eternity, they broke apart. Gerda smiled down at Anna and Elsa. "Now," she said, a twinkle in her eyes. "Shall we see about that chocolate?"

"But Gerda," Elsa protested. "Mama and Papa won't let us have chocolate or any sweets before supper."

"That didn't stop you from coming down here, though, did it?" Gerda asked, smiling wider.

Elsa said nothing, but she didn't have to. Gerda knew everything.

Gerda bent down and whispered, "It'll just be our little secret, hmm?" Elsa glanced down at Anna and then back up at Gerda. She nodded. "Good. Now, go sit down at the table."

Elsa took Anna's hand and led her over to the table. It was still a bit high for them to reach, but that didn't matter right now. All that did matter was that they were able to share this time together. Gerda came over and gave them each a small piece of chocolate. They thanked her and then proceeded to happily devour it. Anna, of course, finished before Elsa. "More! More!" she cried, clapping her hands.

"No, Anna, that's enough for right now," Elsa said, and then lowered her voice. "But maybe we can get some more later."

"Togedder?" Anna asked, looking up at her.

"Of course, together," Elsa answered, smiling at her. "We'll always be together, you and me."

* * *

**Whew! I wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Next chapter coming soon! :)**


	6. I Knew You Could Do It

**Well, here we are with another chapter! I'm sorry for the delay yet again, but at least this one took me less than a week instead of more than a week. To tell you the truth, I've started fangirling over OUAT. By the way, did any of you oncers (OUAT fans) see the latest episode of OUAT Sunday night? I did! I must say, I was surprised but quite pleased with how Anna handled Rumplestiltskin, using his own dagger to trick him into giving her what she wanted and to send her back to Arendelle. Her and Kristoff's reunion (and KISS!) was absolutely PERFECT! It's what we Frozen fans have been waiting for! If they get married on the show, my life will be complete. :) And how about Hook and Emma's date? Eek! :D But anyway, enough of my fangirling! :) Thanks as always for the lovely faves, follows, and reviews! You guys keep me going! Hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!**

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**Chapter 6: I Knew You Could Do It**

Elsa – 7; Anna – 4

It was a frigid day in Arendelle. Though the sun was shining in a clear blue sky, it didn't provide much warmth, if any at all. For yes, winter had arrived. The citizens had woken up to a thick blanket of fresh snow covering the ground. But the cold didn't deter anyone, especially the children, from going outside, whether it was to sled down the village hill, skate on the frozen pond, or just to have a good old-fashioned snowball fight. Their excited shrieks and yells sounded unnaturally shrill in the frigid arctic air.

The one good thing about the cold was that Christmas would soon be there. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of excitement for the coming holiday season. Most of it, of course, came from Anna, as it was her favorite time of year, apart from her and Elsa's joined birthday celebration.

They were currently helping Gerda put up Christmas decorations. Right now, they were working on the stair railing, twining garland around it. Well, Elsa was helping. Anna was just running around and jumping up and down in excitement. Elsa had promised her that after putting up decorations, she'd take her out to the little pond in the castle gardens and teach her to ice skate. Anna had never skated before and was anxious to learn how, and who better to teach her than her sister and best friend?

"Essie, are you done yet?" she asked, almost tripping down the stairs because she was too busy watching Elsa and Gerda and not watching where she was going.

Elsa sighed. "No, Anna, I'm not done yet," she answered. Anna had been asking the same question almost every five minutes. At least, that's how it seemed. "I gotta finish the garland and then help Gerda with lights. If you're not gonna help, why don't you get your doll and play with it while you're waiting?"

Anna plopped down on a step and pouted. "Don't wanna play with Essie doll," she said sadly. "Wanna play with Essie."

Elsa sighed and looked up at Gerda. "I'm sorry, Gerda," she said. "I did promise her."

"That's all right, dear," said Gerda, smiling back at her. "I can finish up here."

"Are you sure?" Elsa asked, looking down at all the garland that still littered the floor.

"Of course, dear, I've done this dozens of times," Gerda answered. "Now go on. Childhood goes by too fast. Enjoy it while you can."

"Thanks Gerda," Elsa said, hugging her. She then held her hand out to Anna. "Come on, Anna, let's go get our skates."

"Really?" Anna asked, popping up, her eyes wide with excitement again.

"Really," Elsa said, smiling.

"Yay!" said Anna, grabbing her sister's hand and almost dragging her back to their room.

On their way there, they passed by the library, where they heard their parents conversing in low voices behind the closed doors. Elsa froze when she heard her name, accidentally causing Anna to stagger back into her, knocking her over. "Essie," Anna said, but Elsa shushed her and moved closer to the door so she could hear better.

"—starting to get out of hand," their father was saying. "She needs to start learning to control them."

"Agdar, we've already discussed this," their mother said. "She will in her own time. She's still a little girl."

"Idun, she's almost eight years old," the king said. "Hardly a little girl anymore. She needs to start learning to take responsibility for her actions."

"Her actions?" said the queen. "You make her sound like a criminal! She's just a child! She needs this time to be a child, for as long as she can."

"She also needs this time to learn how to be a good ruler," the king said. "She is our heir, you know."

"I realize that," the queen replied. "But we are not going anywhere anytime soon, so we do not need to push this on her until we are absolutely sure she is ready. With any luck, she won't have to inherit the throne until well after she turns of age."

"And what if something happens to us before she's of age?" the king asked quietly.

There was silence in the library. Elsa scooted closer to the door, not wanting to miss anything, ignoring Anna's insistent tugging.

Finally, the queen said, just as quietly, "Agdar, don't even think such a thing. What could possibly take us away from our children before Elsa is of age?"

"I don't know, but that is why she needs to start learning as early as possible," the king replied. "In case something like that was to happen."

"Agdar, no," said the queen firmly. "For once, I am putting my foot down. Give her another few years at least to let her be a child. Then we can discuss whether or not she's ready to learn the ways of a ruler."

The king sighed. His wife could be so stubborn and determined sometimes, but interestingly enough, it was one of the things that he admired about her. "Fine," he conceded. "But if something happens and An—someone gets hurt, then she will have to learn control."

"How could she possibly hurt anyone?" the queen asked, surprise and disbelief apparent in her voice. "She is the kindest, sweetest girl we know."

The king was silent for a moment. Then he said quietly, "You never know."

Elsa was so stunned and shocked by what she had just heard that she almost didn't register that footsteps were coming towards the door. Apparently, Anna did, as she gave her hand a fierce tug and pulled her down the hall and around the corner just in time to not be seen by their parents as they left the library and headed in the opposite direction.

Elsa couldn't breathe, but it wasn't just because she was short of breath. Her parents had been talking about her. Why? And why was it so important that she learn to control her magic? She loved it, and Anna did, too. And besides, she loved Anna and her parents too much to hurt them with it. But the way they, especially her father, had been talking about it, it sounded like they were scared of her magic and what it could do. But why would they be scared of it? She was able to create beautiful things with it. She thought about asking them about it, but then decided against it. If they had been speaking behind closed doors and in hushed voices, it probably meant that they hadn't wanted anyone, especially her and Anna, to hear.

Anna started tugging on her again. "Essie, you okay?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Elsa looked down at her and smiled reassuringly. "Yes, I'm okay, Anna," she replied. "I was just thinking, that's all. Now, let's go get our skates. I promised I'd teach you to ice skate and that's what we're gonna do."

* * *

A short while later, Anna and Elsa were bundled up in coats, hats, mittens, and scarves and were running around to the back of the castle gardens where the frozen pond was. Elsa had Anna sit down while she strapped on her skates, a tedious process made even more so by Anna's excited fidgeting.

"Hold still, Anna!" Elsa scolded. "I have to get these on you." She finally managed to buckle the last strap and then sat down to strap hers on. Once they were ready, she took Anna's hand and guided her to the edge of the pond. "Now, watch carefully," she said. She eased herself onto the ice, glided across to the other side, and then came back. "Now it's your turn."

Elsa gently took Anna's hands and helped her onto the ice. Anna skittered for a second, but Elsa gripped her tighter and she stayed on her feet. "Okay," said Elsa encouragingly. "Now put one foot forward. That's it. Now the other one. Good, Anna!"

Slowly but surely, they made their around the small pond, Elsa steadying Anna whenever she looked about to topple. Eventually, feeling that she had the hang of it, Elsa let go of Anna's hands. She watched as her sister took a few ungainly steps before easing into a simple glide. She went a few feet and then turned around and came back to Elsa. She was grinning from ear to ear as Elsa caught her in her arms.

"Essie, I did it!" she said, laughing.

"Good job, Anna!" Elsa praised, also smiling big. "I knew you could do it!"

"Again?" Anna asked, looking up at her with those big blue eyes of hers.

"Sure, we can go again," Elsa answered, still smiling. "We can go as many times as you want."

"Yay!" Anna said, and Elsa just laughed. She took Anna's hand again and they made a few more circuits around the edge of the pond, Anna laughing the whole time.

"You're doing so good, Anna!" Elsa continued praising. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Mama and Papa proud?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure Mama and Papa would be proud if they could see you," Elsa replied.

Once Anna was able to skate by herself in somewhat of a straight line, Elsa decided to try to teach her how to spin. Unfortunately, this didn't work out quite as well as she'd hoped. Anna fell more often than she turned, so Elsa decided to call it quits for the day. Besides, they had stayed out a little longer than they probably should have.

The two sisters made their way back into the castle and up to their room, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. Finally, they reached it, and Elsa breathed a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. She removed her mittens, hat, coat, and scarf, helped Anna off with hers, and put them and their skates away in their shared wardrobe.

"Essie, I still cold," said Anna, rubbing her little hands together and hopping up and down to regain feeling in her feet.

"Me, too, a little," said Elsa, also rubbing her hands together. "Wanna go down to the kitchen to see if Gerda will make us some hot cocoa?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Anna said, jumping up and down again, but this time out of excitement.

"Okay, let's go," said Elsa, and she held out her hand and led Anna from the room.

It didn't take them as long to find the right door this time, as they already knew where it was, having made frequent visits since their first. As they approached, they could smell the familiar scent of spices and freshly baked bread. Anna sniffed happily.

"Gerda's making bread!" she said excitedly, pulling on Elsa's hand. "Let's go see!"

"Hold on, Anna," said Elsa, gently pulling her back. "We have to knock first, remember? We can't just go barging in."

"Okay!" said Anna, and she knocked on the door – two slow knocks, two quick ones, and another slow one. Before waiting for an answer, she pulled open the door (with Elsa's help) and bounded into the kitchen.

It was empty, just like it had been the first time they had visited. Anna sniffed again and followed the smell to a big oven at the other end of the room, where there were a few loaves of bread baking. She moved forward to peek inside, but Elsa stopped her.

"Essie!" she protested, squirming in her sister's arms. "I want bread!"

"It's not done baking yet," Elsa said, trying to keep a hold on Anna. "Besides, it'd be too hot to eat right away, anyway."

"Aw," Anna said. She stopped fighting to get loose and Elsa let her go. She plopped down in a nearby chair and pouted at her obvious defeat.

They heard a chuckle behind them and turned around to see Gerda standing in the doorway. "Now, then," she said, starting towards them. "Which two little girls have blond and strawberry-blonde hair, just came in from outside, and are trying to sneak a snack?"

Anna looked at Elsa and then back at Gerda. "Us! Us!" she said, raising one of her hands above her head and bouncing up and down on her chair.

Elsa just smiled and shook her head; sometimes, Anna took things so literally.

"Well," said Gerda, crouching down in front of them. "Now that I know _who's_ in my kitchen, I need to know _why_ there are two little girls in my kitchen."

Before Elsa could say anything, Anna piped up, "Me and Essie want cocoa!"

"Really?" said Gerda, sounding amused. "Is that so?"

"Uh-huh!" said Anna, still bouncing on her seat.

"Well, it just so happens that I might have some left," Gerda said. She stood up and went over to one of the many cabinets lining the wall. She took out a small can of cocoa powder and two small mugs, which she set on the table. She then went over to the icebox and took out a bottle of milk. She poured the milk into a small pot, which she heated on the stove. Once it was hot enough, she stirred in a couple teaspoons of the cocoa powder. When it was all mixed in, she poured the steaming hot beverage into the two mugs on the table.

Elsa sat down in the chair next to Anna and Gerda put a mug in front of each of them. Anna immediately reached for hers, but Elsa stopped her and said, "Be careful, Anna. It's very hot. Blow on it first."

Anna did as she was told and blew on it, and then took a sip. "Mmm!" she said, smacking her lips.

"Is it good?" Elsa asked, smiling because she already knew the answer. As usual, she wasn't disappointed.

"Gerda make the best cocoa ever!" Anna said, before taking another sip.

Elsa couldn't stop smiling while she sipped her own cocoa. The sound of her sister's laughter was her most favorite sound in the world. She hoped to hear it every day for the rest of her life.

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**I know I've said this about other chapters in my other stories, but I feel that this one isn't one of my best, at least for this particular story. But as usual, I'll let you guys be the judge of that. I apologize for the not-so-happy conversation between the king and queen, but it was one I wanted them to have since at least the previous chapter.**

**I know this will sadden you, but chapter 7 will be the last chapter of this story. Anna and Elsa will now be the ages they start out at in the movie - 8 and 5, respectively. And I think I have the perfect idea for this particular chapter. I won't say more here, but I think you can guess what it is. ;)**

**Again, hope you enjoyed! Last chapter coming soon! :)**


	7. The Sky's Awake

**Well, sadly, here we are, the 7th and final chapter of "Big Sister Elsa". This one also gave me a little trouble, mostly in the length department (what else is new, right?). I already knew how I wanted to end it, but I needed to think of something to help lead into it. But I think what I came up with is pretty good. Think you know how I ended it? Well, you'll just have to read and find out! :) Thank you SO MUCH for all your lovely reviews, faves, and follows! They're what kept me going! Anyway, hope you enjoy the final chapter, and keep reviewing! DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics contained in this chapter.**

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**Chapter 7: The Sky's Awake**

Elsa – 8; Anna – 5

It was a blisteringly hot summer day in Arendelle, the hottest anyone could ever remember it being. Most people stayed inside their houses, trying to protect themselves from the excessive heat as best they could. Those who weren't fortunate enough to get to stay home, such as merchants, were in pure agony under the blinding sun. But fortunately for the local ice harvesters, business was booming. So many people were buying ice that they had to make extra trips up to the mountains to cut more. Of course, the very best was always given to the royal family. Whatever was left was given to the villagers. But they didn't care; as long as they had something to help relieve the heat, they really couldn't complain.

Today found Anna and Elsa in their room, trying their best to stay cool in the stifling heat. Both were wearing lightweight summer dresses, but still felt hot, as though they were wearing multiple layers. Normally so bouncy and energetic, it was rare to see Anna sprawled out on the floor, hardly moving. But the heat made her groggy and lethargic, and she didn't feel like doing much of anything.

"Essie, it's so hoooooooot!" she whined, dragging out the word. "Can you please make snow?"

Elsa was sitting on her bed, playing with her doll. "Mama and Papa don't want me to make snow in summer," she said. "Besides, it's so hot, it'll probably just melt as soon as I make it, anyway."

Anna groaned and sat up. She was so bored, but she didn't want to get herself worked up; it was too hot.

"Anna, stop it," Elsa scolded from above her. "If you're so bored, why don't you play with your doll or draw or something?"

Anna sighed loudly. "Don't wanna play with doll or draw," she said. "'Sides, I can't draw good as you."

Elsa sighed and shook her head. She wasn't that good of a drawer, but at least her drawings had some shape and definition to them. Anna's, on the other hand, looked more like scribbles than anything else. Of course, she was only five, so there wasn't much she _could_ draw.

Anna flopped back onto the floor with a thud, but then popped back up almost immediately. "Essie!" she said. "Let's get ice cream!"

"Where are we gonna get ice cream?" Elsa asked, still looking at her doll.

"Gerda has it!" Anna answered.

"How do you know?" Elsa asked, looking up at her.

"I just know!" Anna answered. Actually, she didn't know if Gerda had any or not, but she felt that it didn't hurt to ask. She ran over to her sister and started pulling on her hand, like she had done countless times before. "Can we get some, please, please, _please_?" But Elsa just sat there, looking at her. Not getting the response she wanted, Anna decided to use her one tried and true method: her famous puppy dog face, complete with pouty lips and big eyes.

Elsa smiled and shook her head. Anna's puppy dog face always did her in. "Okay," she sighed, setting her doll aside. "We can go get ice cream."

"Yay!" Anna cried happily, jumping up and down in excitement. She grabbed Elsa's hand and pulled her off her bed and out the door.

Anna bounced down the hallway, saying, "Ice cream! Ice cream!"

"Anna, hush, we have to be quiet," Elsa scolded gently. "Mama and Papa don't like us making too much noise, remember?"

Anna stopped bouncing. "Sorry, Essie," she said. "I'm just excited! What kinda ice cream does Gerda have?"

"I don't know, Anna," Elsa answered.

"I hope it's chocolate!" Anna said, not really paying attention to what Elsa was saying. "Chocolate is my most favoritest!"

Elsa sighed. Anything chocolate-flavored was Anna's favorite, it seemed.

"Ooh, ooh!" said Anna suddenly, turning around so she could see Elsa better. "I hope there's sprinkles, too!"

Elsa tried not to roll her eyes, but it was difficult. Soon, they came to the door leading to the kitchen. Elsa opened it and immediately a powerful smell of ammonia hit their noses. They clamped their hands over their noses, trying not to breathe it in.

"Essie, it stinks!" Anna said, her voice a bit nasal from having to plug her nose.

"I know," said Elsa, her voice just as nasal as Anna's. "Maybe we shouldn't be here right now."

"Why?" Anna asked.

"'Cause I think Gerda's cleaning," Elsa answered. "Come on, let's go." And she started making her way to the door. Anna, however, didn't move.

"No ice cream?" she said sadly.

"No ice cream," said Elsa.

"Aw," said Anna, and she pouted at the floor before reluctantly shuffling forward to join Elsa, and then followed her out the door.

They had barely crossed the threshold when they heard a friendly voice behind them. "Hello, girls."

They turned and saw Gerda standing in the middle of the kitchen, an apron around her waist, a scarf on her head, and holding a scrub brush.

"Hi Gerda," said Elsa.

"Did you girls want something?" Gerda asked, setting down the scrub brush and removing the scarf from her head.

"Well," said Elsa slowly. "Me and Anna were hot, so we came down for some ice cream. But then we smelled something yucky, so we decided to leave."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Gerda said, picking up the scrub brush again and beckoning the girls farther into the kitchen. "I was just doing some cleaning. See?" She pointed to a wet, soapy spot on the stone floor.

"Oh," said Elsa. "What's that smell, though?" She sniffed again and crinkled her nose in disgust.

"It's a special cleaner that I use for particularly tough messes," Gerda answered. "You see, I spilled something sticky and this cleaner is the best for sticky messes."

"Oh," said Elsa again. "I guess we'll just leave, then. Come on, Anna." She took Anna's hand and started leading her back to the door.

"Just a moment, you two," Gerda called after them. "What about that ice cream?"

"Yay, ice cream!" Anna cried happily, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. "I told you Gerda had some, Essie!"

"I guess you were right," Elsa said, smiling.

Gerda also smiled as she went over to the icebox. Anna hopped along after her.

"Ooh! Ooh! Is it chocolate ice cream?" she asked excitedly.

Gerda couldn't help laughing at the little princess's antics. "No, I'm sorry, dear, I only made vanilla this time. It takes longer to make chocolate ice cream and I didn't have time."

"Aw," said Anna, pouting again.

"But I may have some chocolate sauce to put on top," Gerda said, trying to lift Anna's spirits. "How does that sound?"

"Okay!" said Anna, a smile back on her face.

Elsa just smiled and shook her head. She would never understand her sister's sudden, constant mood changes. But she had never minded it; if her sister was sad or hurt for whatever reason, it never lasted long, which she was grateful for. She hated seeing her baby sister sad.

Gerda opened the icebox and took out a small bucket, which was filled to the top with creamy vanilla ice cream. Anna was once again bouncing around in excitement.

"Ice cream! Ice cream!" she said, like she had done on the way down to the kitchen.

"Anna, sit down, or you won't get any," Elsa said gently but firmly. Anna plopped down into a seat at the long wooden table, followed by Elsa, who sat down a little more gracefully.

Gerda put a bowl and spoon in front of each of them and put a small scoop of ice cream in each one. She put the bucket of ice cream back in the icebox and went over to a cupboard to get some chocolate sauce. She came back over to the table and spooned a small amount onto the girls' ice cream. Anna grinned widely and immediately dug her spoon in, coming up with a big mound. It was almost at her mouth when Elsa stopped her.

"Anna, take smaller bites," she scolded gently.

"Why?" Anna asked, putting her spoon down with a clatter.

"'Cause you don't wanna freeze your mouth," Elsa answered.

"Oh," said Anna, and she proceeded to scoop some of the ice cream off her spoon. "Like this, Essie?" She held up her spoon again, which now had about half the amount of ice cream as before.

"Better," said Elsa, smiling at her.

Anna shoved her spoon into her mouth and sat contentedly, savoring the ice cream. As soon as she swallowed, she exclaimed happily, "Best ice cream ever!"

Elsa and Gerda just laughed.

* * *

That evening found Anna and Elsa playing in their room, closely supervised by Nanny Hanne, who was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner. The air had cooled off some since earlier in the day, so it was much more pleasant and comfortable. Elsa was currently teaching Anna a new clapping game, singing along with the beats of their claps.

"_One, two, three together,_

_Clap together, snap together,_

_You and me together,_

_Knees together, freeze together,_

_Up or down together,_

_Princess crown together,_

_Always be together,_

_You and me._"

They repeated the song and the clapping and when they were done, Anna clapped her hands together and said, "Again! Again!"

"No, Anna, let's play something quiet now," said Elsa.

"Hmm," said Anna, puckering her lip, pretending to think. "Roll the ball?"

"Sure, we can play that," said Elsa, and she went over to her toy chest and dug out a small blue ball. She sat back down in front of Anna with her legs spread out. "Sit like me."

Anna spread her legs out just like Elsa and Elsa rolled the ball to her. She rolled it back, but a little harder than Elsa did.

"Careful, Anna, not so hard," she said. "Roll it like this." And she rolled the ball gently to Anna, who rolled it gently back. "Good."

But Anna soon got bored with just rolling the ball and decided to bounce it a little. Elsa didn't mind; at least until Anna bounced the ball a little too hard and high, causing it to hit Elsa on the head on its way back.

"Ow, Anna, you hit me!" Elsa said, rubbing the spot where the ball had hit her.

"I'm sorry, Essie, I'm sorry!" Anna said, abandoning the ball and running over to her.

"It's okay, Anna," Elsa said gently. "That's why you need to be careful."

"Essie's head hurt?" Anna asked quietly, not wanting to get Elsa upset again.

"Just a little," Elsa answered, smiling at her reassuringly.

"I'll kiss it and make it better," said Anna, and she kissed the spot on Elsa's head where the ball had hit. "All better?"

"All better," said Elsa, smiling again. Then she suddenly grabbed Anna and started tickling her.

"Essie, stop!" Anna said through her giggles. "No tickle!"

After about a minute or two of furious tickling, Elsa stopped and let Anna sit back up again. "Sorry, Anna," she said, still giggling. "But I had to get you back."

"All right, that's enough, you two," said Nanny Hanne, coming over to them. "It's time for bed."

Nanny Hanne helped the girls into their nightgowns, but Anna insisted that Elsa tuck her in. She climbed up into her bed (with Elsa's help) and crawled under the covers. Elsa tucked the blankets around her and kissed her cheek. "Good night, Anna," she said.

"Night, Essie," said Anna. "Love you."

"I love you, too, Anna," said Elsa, smiling before going to climb into her own bed. Nanny Hanne tucked her in before shutting the lights off and closing the door behind her as she left. The two princesses snuggled down into their beds and were asleep within minutes of each other.

* * *

A couple hours later, Anna was awakened by bright lights flashing behind her closed eyelids. She opened them up and looked out the window to see the sky full of the colors of the aurora borealis. She gave an excited squeak, toppled out of bed, and scurried over to Elsa's. She was still sound asleep, but Anna was too excited to let her. She peeked up over the edge of the bed.

"Psst, Essie!" she whispered. Getting no response, she climbed up onto the bed (with a little difficulty) and crawled on top of her sister. "Essie! Wake up, wake up, wake _up_!" She shook Elsa slightly to get her attention.

Elsa stirred, but only opened her eyes long enough to say, "Anna, go back to sleep."

Anna sighed. "I just can't," she said, flopping on her back while still on top of Elsa. "The sky's awake, so I'm awake, so we have to play!"

"Go play by yourself!" said Elsa, playfully pushing her off the bed and onto the floor. Anna sat there and pouted for a minute, and then she gasped. She had an idea, and she just knew that Elsa would go along with it.

She crawled back up onto the bed, reached over Elsa, and peeled open one of her eyelids. "Do you wanna build a snowmaaaaaaan?" she asked, drawing out the word.

Elsa smiled and opened her eyes. She could never say no to that.

* * *

**And you know what happens next. They go down to the ballroom to build a snowman but the evening ends in disaster. But I didn't include that here, 'cause this is a happy story! :) I know, Anna says "Elsa" in the movie, but I thought it would be cuter if she continued to use the nickname I created. :)**

**I sorta based Anna's tiredness due to the heat off myself. Excessive heat also makes me groggy and lethargic.**

**Did you recognize the lyrics I included in this chapter? They're also from the outtake "We Know Better". :)**

**Yes, I did base the "Anna kissing Elsa's head to make it feel better" bit off an episode of "Full House", where Michelle does the same to DJ after she bumps her knee.**

**I wanna thank you all SO MUCH for your support and for putting up with my delayed updates. You guys mean the world to me! :) **

**I wanna send a special shoutout to HAFanForever, who reviewed EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER! You are AWESOME!**

**Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you again for my next story! :)**


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